The present invention relates to methods for rapidly curing a film on a substrate through selective heating. One example would be the creation of an insulating layer, such as SiO.sub.2, on a standard integrated circuit. The film is applied to the integrated circuit in a liquid form. Following application, the film needs to be cured using heat to convert it to a solid form. The curing process in general involves the driving out of volatile molecules or atoms. Using a conventional furnace which heats by convection, this is done at relatively low temperatures over long times to permit the diffusion and escape of the volatiles from the film as it is being cured. Since materials being heated convectively heat from the outside in, the surface of the film begins to cure before the interior. This cured layer subsequently impedes the escape or diffusion of the volatiles from the remaining uncured film. Under extreme conditions, the volatiles can be prevented from escaping and can agglomerate, forming pockets or voids within the film which reduce the effectiveness of the film. This effect occurs sooner if high temperatures are used. Consequently it is necessary to process the films at low temperatures and for long times to allow the curing process to proceed to completion without degradation of the desired film properties.